Title in the Language of the Records

Collection Time Period

The collection of the civil registration for the Gelderland Province covers events from 1811 to 1942.

Record Description

Record types found on the films are births, marriages, deaths, 10 year indexes, marriage intentions, marriage proclamations, and marriage supplements. The events are recorded either totally by hand or in partially preprinted books where the information is then entered by hand.

The collection was assembled from existing records, usually books or ledgers. Sometimes the original record book contained one type of entry, such as births. Sometimes, the book contained multiple record types, such as births, deaths, and marriages. Therefore, as you search the records, you will find a mixture of record types even though the heading mentions only one type of record initially. The heading may change as you search the specific collection to reflect the variety of records it contains. Thus, searching in marriages may lead to both marriage and divorce records. The same will be true when searching divorces.

The French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte introduced civil registration to the Netherlands at the time of the French occupation in the late 1700s, first in the southern part of the country and later in the rest of the country. Since March of 1811, the local civil authorities in Gelderland began recording births, marriages, and deaths using a standard format. Two copies of the records were created; one stayed in the local registration district, the second was sent annually to the district court. The district court created “ten-year” indexes and eventually deposited the records and ten-year indexes in the provincial archives.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in the Netherlands, Gelderland Province Civil Registration, 1811-1950 collection, select the Browse.

For a list of film numbers currently published in the Netherlands, Gelderland Province Civil Registration, 1811-1950 includes index) collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection

The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Hisrorical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, or archive for the original records.

Spouse’s name and occupation, if deceased person was married; otherwise spouse's death place

Parent’s names, occupation, and residence if living; otherwise the place of their death

Name and information of the informant, who could be a relative

Names of witnesses, who could also be relatives

How to Use the Records

Dutch civil registration records are an excellent source for accurate information on names, places, and dates of events such as births, marriages, and deaths. By doing research in the civil registration records, a person can compile several family groups.

When looking for a birth record, search by the given name of the child, the mother’s maiden name, and that of the father. Children are never labeled as 'illegitimate', but the mother is noted as being 'unmarried'. If the father and mother of the child later married, it will be mentioned in the margin of the birth certificate as well and that the child is 'recognized' as theirs. The child's last name will now have been changed to the father's last name as well, so the child is born with the mother's last name, but will later in life go with the father's last name. If you believe a marriage took place but cannot find a record of the marriage, search records of intent to marry. Take note of the marriage entry number; you will need this to locate the marriage supplements, which are the documents filed by the bride and groom in support of their application to be married. Civil death records often exist for individuals whom there are no birth or marriage records for. Married women are recorded under their maiden surname.

Why This Record Was Created

The civil registration serves to officially record the events of births, marriages, and deaths in a person’s life. These records also served for statistical purposes, and in the earlier years, for military drafting.

Record Reliability

The civil registration is the most accurate source for records search after March 1811 in Gelderland. For events prior to March 1811, it is best to search church records.

Known Issues with this Collection

For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, please read the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, feel free to report them at support@familysearch.org. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Web Sites

Genver 2 - To combate difficulties getting to the correct location in this collection. (Website is in Dutch.)

Genlias There is also a site call which is a compilation of indexed records from the Netherlands, including some from Dutch colonies, mostly dating from 1811 until the mid-1900s. (Website is in Dutch, but with an option to view and search in English.) Currently incomplete, but extensive and with records being added.

Images for many of the indexed records on Genlias can be found in the collections on Familysearch.org.

Related Wiki Articles

Contributions to This Article

We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. We are looking for additional information that will help readers understand the topic and better use the available records. We also need translations for collection titles and images in articles about records written in languages other than English. For specific needs, please visit WikiProject FamilySearch Records.

Please follow these guidelines as you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections

When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.